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Footbridge across the Deep Gorge
Footbridge across the Deep Gorge
Czechia
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Footbridge across the Deep Gorge
Czechia
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2019
SIZE
0 sqft - 1000 sqft
BUDGET
$0 - 10K
A minimum of resting points and unique views into the valley: these are the initial principles behind the conception of the footbridge across the ‘Deep Gorge’ (Hluboká strouha). As a material suitable for extreme climactic conditions, the students chose Corten weather-resistant steel, and also completed a welding course so that they could make the bridgeway grids themselves.
The bridge is located at the edge of the peak ‘Stoh’, at the point where the Deep Gorge is crossed by the blue-marked hiking route leading from the resort town of Špindlerův Mlýn to the chalets known as the Klínové Boudy. Its shape is derived from the terrain configuration of the gulley formed by the Deep Gorge and from the movements of the visitors, a curve that forms a continuation of the current path and supports fluid walking movements. Along the path, there are only a few resting points: hence the bench offering a seat with a view thanks to the plan of the bridge, which turns to face down into the valley.
The design reacts to the locality’s extreme climate conditions. The bridgeway is formed from rebar, i.e. the ribbed metal rods used to reinforce concrete. Thanks to the spaces between the rebar, the bridge gives an optical impression of lightness, so that hikers can gain a glimpse of the stream below the bridge, while the bridge itself does not collect snow, water or even fallen leaves. The spacing of the rebar promises safe passage across the bridge. Since the gulley spanned by the bridge is frequently the site of avalanches, the bridge is designed without any railings, to offer only minimal resistance to falling objects.
The main material is Corten weathering steel, which requires no maintenance and perfectly matches the natural surroundings of the Krkonoše National Park: its final rust-toned patina is naturally acquired after only four months.
The footbridge has a curving outline with a load-bearing structure of welded I-profiles. The total length of the bridge is 7.25 m, width 1.8 m. The grid of the walkway is supported on seven modules welded from I- and T-profiles. The height of the main load-bearing elements is different, because of the differing moment acting on the structure: the inner, less-burdened profile has a height of 150 mm, the outer profile of 240 mm. The transverse braces welded from bent T-profiles have a changing height; individual modules are connected to each other through screw connections. The walkway layer of the bridge is provided by 14 welded grids. Each grid is formed from a frame, distancing studs, and 18 bars of reinforcing steel.
No transport infrastructure is anywhere near the footbridge. Consequently, it is designed to be modular, easily disassembled into individual parts, which in turn can be easily transported and assembled without using heavy machinery. In its restrained form, its visual delicacy and its used materials, it harmonically matches the unique environment of the Krkonoše National Park.
The bridge was planned and hand-built by students of the studie Hlaváček – Čeněk at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague, as part of a design-build project in collaboration with the Administration of the Krkonoše National Park.
Photo: Martin Čeněk.
The bridge is located at the edge of the peak ‘Stoh’, at the point where the Deep Gorge is crossed by the blue-marked hiking route leading from the resort town of Špindlerův Mlýn to the chalets known as the Klínové Boudy. Its shape is derived from the terrain configuration of the gulley formed by the Deep Gorge and from the movements of the visitors, a curve that forms a continuation of the current path and supports fluid walking movements. Along the path, there are only a few resting points: hence the bench offering a seat with a view thanks to the plan of the bridge, which turns to face down into the valley.
The design reacts to the locality’s extreme climate conditions. The bridgeway is formed from rebar, i.e. the ribbed metal rods used to reinforce concrete. Thanks to the spaces between the rebar, the bridge gives an optical impression of lightness, so that hikers can gain a glimpse of the stream below the bridge, while the bridge itself does not collect snow, water or even fallen leaves. The spacing of the rebar promises safe passage across the bridge. Since the gulley spanned by the bridge is frequently the site of avalanches, the bridge is designed without any railings, to offer only minimal resistance to falling objects.
The main material is Corten weathering steel, which requires no maintenance and perfectly matches the natural surroundings of the Krkonoše National Park: its final rust-toned patina is naturally acquired after only four months.
The footbridge has a curving outline with a load-bearing structure of welded I-profiles. The total length of the bridge is 7.25 m, width 1.8 m. The grid of the walkway is supported on seven modules welded from I- and T-profiles. The height of the main load-bearing elements is different, because of the differing moment acting on the structure: the inner, less-burdened profile has a height of 150 mm, the outer profile of 240 mm. The transverse braces welded from bent T-profiles have a changing height; individual modules are connected to each other through screw connections. The walkway layer of the bridge is provided by 14 welded grids. Each grid is formed from a frame, distancing studs, and 18 bars of reinforcing steel.
No transport infrastructure is anywhere near the footbridge. Consequently, it is designed to be modular, easily disassembled into individual parts, which in turn can be easily transported and assembled without using heavy machinery. In its restrained form, its visual delicacy and its used materials, it harmonically matches the unique environment of the Krkonoše National Park.
The bridge was planned and hand-built by students of the studie Hlaváček – Čeněk at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague, as part of a design-build project in collaboration with the Administration of the Krkonoše National Park.
Photo: Martin Čeněk.
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